This invention relates to mobile station communications and, more particularly to location dependent behavior in a mobile station.
An increasingly common problem faced by mobile station users is that of prohibition of use. Reasons for such prohibitions vary, generally according to location. For example, operation of an electronic device, such as a mobile station, during the take-off and landing operations of an aircraft can interfere with electronic signals which are critical to the operation of the aircraft. As a result, the FAA prohibits the operation of certain electronic devices by passengers during take-off and landing operations. However, this prohibition does not ensure that deliberate violators and careless passengers will not operate their electronic devices during such critical periods. A means of addressing this specific hazard is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,407, entitled xe2x80x9cMethod and Apparatus for Inhibiting the Operation of an Electronic Device During Take-Offs and Landings of an Aircraft.xe2x80x9d Prohibitions on mobile station use due to critical operations can also occur in other environments. Such environments can include, for example, hospitals and other areas where sensitive medical instruments may need to be protected from possible radio frequency interference (RFI) caused by mobile stations.
In addition to prohibitions on the use of mobile stations and other electronic devices, warning devices which detect the radio frequency (RF) transmission of a mobile station may also be used. Such devices are based on the detection of a radio transmission sent by an electronic device such as a mobile station. The warning device can indicate RFI detection by an audio signal or warning lights. However, the warning device is merely reactive. That is, it does not register an alarm in absence of RFI detection. Therefore, until a mobile station is participating in a call or making location updates to a registered system, the warning device will not indicate a problem. By the time RFI is indicated, the interference has occurred. At this point, mere detection of the interference may not be enough to avoid the problems it can cause. Another drawback of the RFI warning device is that it does not indicate, with adequate precision, the source of the RFI. That is, the warning device cannot unambiguously indicate which particular mobile station is activated. This lack of precision can cause a delay in pinpointing the RFI source. Thus, the elimination of the RFI by switching off the source is delayed.
Secondary reasons may also exist for prohibiting or limiting the use of mobile stations in public and private areas. For example, in some areas, it may be particularly important that a mobile station that is in operating mode, i.e., ready to send and receive communications, does not cause a disturbance, for example, by ringing.
The ability to impart location dependent functionality to mobile stations is impeded due to the limits in both scope and accuracy of current positioning systems. The systems currently available are incapable of providing the positioning detail required for controlling mobile station behavior in a specific location. Systems using triangulation, signal strength indicators, or time difference of arrival systems, such as GPS, each have requirements which, in the context of mobile stations, such as handheld cellular telephones, make them unsuitable for implementing location specific, automatic terminal behavior control. By design, such systems require specially adapted receivers at the mobile station to receive and process the pilot tones, GPS signals, etc. Such sophisticated end equipment can substantially increase the cost of a mobile station. Also, the addition of special equipment can result in a handset which is extremely bulky and difficult to manipulate. This added weight and size can be detrimental to mobile stations which are handheld cellular telephones.
An additional drawback to current positioning systems is that when applied to wireless communications of interest to end consumers, i.e. communications in the 800 MHz to 2.5 GHz frequency band, the anticipated use of excessive frequency spectrum makes them undesirable.
A location dependent system is needed which is compatible with existing mobile stations. That is it should not degrade the operation or ergonomics of an existing system. In addition, a location dependent system should not require the allocation of more radio frequencies than are currently allocated to wireless telephone systems or a substantial portion of existing wireless frequencies. Moreover, current systems are reactive and restrictive. Current systems do not act until a mobile station is detected. When the current systems do act, it is to curtail the functionality of the mobile stations.
Additional general background, which helps to show the knowledge of those skilled in the art, may be found in the following: Laverghetta, Microwaves and Wireless Simplified (1998); and Balanis, Antenna Theory:
Analysis and Design (1997), both of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
The disclosed embodiments of present application provide a system and a method for modifying the behavioral characteristics of a mobile station terminal according to a functional location. A small transmitter, or button, which utilizes short range radio transmissions is used to define a functional location. The button is identified with particular functions using a device ID. In some of the disclosed embodiments, the button transmits the device ID continuously. In some other disclosed embodiments, the button transmission is triggered by a mobile station in proximity to the button. In some of the disclosed embodiments, the mobile station can store a mapping of device IDs to particular behaviors (or functions). In some other disclosed embodiments, the mobile station can request and receive a set of behaviors based on the device ID from a server attached to a telecommunications network. In some of the disclosed embodiments, receipt of a device ID can trigger a remote set of behaviors via a telecommunications network.
The disclosed embodiments can provide several advantages. For example, a low power button is a simple and inexpensive solution to providing location dependent services or functionality. It is possible to install such buttons in places where more expensive and sophisticated hardware would be at risk. Moreover, the small, unobtrusive button is easy to install, remove and relocate upon demand. For another example, the set of behaviors associated with a particular button can be defined and reconfigured centrally without requiring access to the button. For another example, a low power button allows an area which is considerably smaller than the micro or pico cells of a mobile cellular system to be defined. Such an area can be, for example, a building, a floor of a building, an office room, a shop, a department in a shop, etc. With smaller locations described functionally, as opposed to geographically, the functions performed by a mobile station can be augmented according to the mobile station""s environment. Use of a small button can allow the ID defined location to be mobile, for example, when the button is installed in a vehicle. Also, the low cost, ease of use and flexibility of the proposed system and method allow individual end-users to purchase and install buttons to create their own location dependent services. Finally, the proposed system is proactive and expansive. The proposed system does not rely on the mobile station to make its presence known prior to changing the mobile station functionality. Moreover, when mobile station functionality is affected by a device ID, it is possible that the functionality will be expanded by a wide variety of different services, either at the mobile station or by behaviors taking place remote from the mobile station.